Christopher William Krushka was the first of six children born to Christopher Krushka (1858-1934) and his wife Alice Fry. Alice was the daughter of George and Eliza Fry of 'Sunnyside' Ringarooma. George had earlier been a market gardener in Charles Street, Launceston and on land where City Park was developed.

Christopher senior, born in Hobart, was the youngest son of Christian and Jane Louisa (Minnie) Krushka (Kruschne) who had arrived in Hobart on the Wilhemsburg from Hamburg, Prussia, in 1855. With his brothers Charles and Frederick, Christopher senior discovered several major tin deposits in the Derby area. Their 'Black Boy', 'Brothers' Home' and later 'Briseis' mines were all very rich and productive.

Christopher junior was 12 years of age when photographed at the Tasmanian Exhibition in 1891, and was attending the Launceston High School. At that time he was a proud product of a courageous pioneering family that had turned a battling existence in the outback into one of unforseen and unexpected wealth. Christopher spent all of his life at Ringarooma working on the land. He was a good athlete and, apart from being lost on the Mathinna Plains for more than a week as a teenager, he apparently enjoyed a peaceful and unremarkable existence. He died in 1947.

Graeme Denholm Oct 2007

Our project is continuing to gather family history data on the people who had season tickets to the Exhibition. If you have information you would like to contribute please email us at launcestonfamilyalbum@gmail.com.